The Red Moon
by Fangdewolf
Summary: Cats need to be killed and others listen to StarClan cats trying to stop death but save the Clan, in the middle, Cherrypaw os dealing with a voice in her head. New characters and old come together in unexpected ways in The Red Moon.
1. Chapter 1

ALLEGIANCES

THUNDERCLAN

LEADER: Bramblestar, thick-furred brown tom

DEPUTY: Beechfoot, ginger-and-brown mottled she-cat

MEDICINE CAT: Rainfluff, silver-gray she-cat

WARRIORS: Dustflight, reddish-brown tom with dark eyes

APPRENTICE, RUNNINGPAW  
Fernreed, white and golden tabby she-cat

APPRENTICE, BIRCHPAW

Jewelclaw, white she-cat with gold feet

APPRENTICE, TALLPAW

Eaglestep, cloudy tom with big ears and blue eyes

Stonebird, gray she-cat

Flickerpoppy, dark red tom

Russetstripe, brown and red tabby tom

Starclaw, purplish-black she-cat

Thornfur, golden brown tabby tom

APPRENTICE, CHERRYPAW

Bearfall, huge brown tom

APPRENTICE, JAGGEDPAW

Deerspring, yellow-brown she-cat

Vixentail, yellow-brown she-cat

APPRENTICE, BERRYPAW

QUEENS: Brightbank, light brown she-cat, mother of Bearfall's kits: Tawnykit, Tigerkit, and Vinekit

Sorreldrop, reddish-brown she-cat, mother of Eaglestep's kits: Cedarkit and Hawkkit

Bluemist, gray-blue she-cat, mother of Dustflight's kit: Thicketkit

APPRENTICES:

Birchpaw, white and brown tabby tom

Tallpaw, golden tom

Cherrypaw, red she-cat

Runningpaw, gray she-cat

Berrypaw, cream she-cat

Jaggedpaw, gray tom

ELDERS:

Burningwhisker, fiery tom

Highflower, orange she-cat

Sunfoot, white she-cat with gold feet

SHADOWCLAN

LEADER: Sweetstar, white she-cat

DEPUTY:Hillflower, yellow and red tabby she-cat

APPRENTICE, FURZEPAW

MEDICINE CAT: Cloudfeather, gray she-cat

APPRENTICE, OWLPAW

WARRIORS: Leafbank, brown tabby she-cat

APPRENTICE, WINGPAW

Poppyheart, dark red she-cat

APPRENTICE, BARKPAW

Dawndrop, fiery she-cat with blue eyes

Ashwater, dark gray tom like dark eyes

APPRENTICE, CINDERPAW

Squirrelstorm, dappled brown tom with blue eyes

Nightpool, black she-cat with dark eyes

APPRENTICE, MOSSPAW

Blackface, white tom with a burnt face

APPRENTICE, CEDARPAW

Rocktail, dark gray tom

APPRENTICE, MINTPAW

Leopardleg, light brown tom with black spots on his leg

Adderfur, wiry gray tom

Rowancloud, orange tom

Ivyflower, light gray she-cat

Quartztooth, gray tom

QUEENS: Hollysong, blight yellow she-cat, mother of Ashwater's kits: Shrewkit, Featherkit and Whitekit

Jaysun, golden she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Rocktail's kits: Volekit and Maplekit

APPRENTICES: Wingpaw, golden she-cat

Cinderpaw, red she-cat

Mosspaw, brown she-cat

Cedarpaw, brown tom

Barkpaw, brown tom

Owlpaw, brown tom

Furzepaw, gray tom with green eyes

Mintpaw, gray she-cat with green-blue eyes

ELDERS: Emberdust, black tom

Wolftail, gray tom

Grassleap, light brown she-cat

WINDCLAN

LEADER: Kestrelstar, white and black tabby tom

DEPUTY: Honeyfeather, golden brown she-cat with blue eyes

MEDICINE CAT: Willowstripe, white she-cat with light brown stripes

APPRENTICE, LIGHTPAW

WARRIORS: Harefur, brown tom with green eyes

APPRENTiCE, TOPAZPAW

Crowfluff, fluffy black tom with dark eyes  
APPRENTICE, HAZELPAW

Heatherdew, glossy purplish-black she-cat with green eyes

Swallowfall, brown she-cat with unusual white dots

APPRENTICE, MOUSEPAW

Weaselnose, lithe brown she-cat

Morningbranch, whitish-gold she-cat

Webstorm, white-and-gray tabby tom

Oakflight, light brown tom

APPRENTICE, ONEPAW

Goldwing, golden she-cat

APPRENTICE, POUNCEPAW

Smoke-ear, brown tom with gray ears

APPRENTICE, BRAVEPAW

Mothfeather, white and brown dappled she-cat

Weedwhisker, light brown she-cat

QUEENS: Mudreed, brown she-cat, mother of Webstorm's kits: Lionkit, Amberkit, and Gorsekit

Patchdust, tortoiseshell she-cat

APPRENTICES: Hazelpaw, glossy brown she-cat

Bravepaw, fiery tom

Topazpaw, light brown she-cat

Mousepaw, gray tom

Onepaw, white tom with black paws and a black tail tip

Pouncepaw, white tom

Lightpaw, bright yellow she-cat

ELDERS: Wavedew, gray she-cat, formerly of RiverClan

Shorecloud, white she-cat

Boltfur, bright yellow tom

RIVERCLAN

LEADER: Pebblestar, whitish-gray tom with gray eyes

DEPUTY: Tidepool, sand-colored tom

APPRENTICE, MOONPAW

MEDICINE CAT: Brackendew, golden brown tom

APPRENTICE, SNOWPAW

WARRIORS: Stormspirit, gray tom

Rippledust, orangish-brown she-cat with unusual gray patterns on her fur

Lowstep, thick-furred gray tom with gray eyes

Whitenose, white tom

Breezeleg, long-limbed light gray tom

APPRENTICE, WETPAW

Clearwing, ghostlike white she-cat with gray eyes

APPRENTICE, BUZZARDPAW

Graytooth, glossy gray tom

APPRENTICE, MINNOWPAW

Spicestream, orangish-brown she-cat

Bluesun, bright yellow tom

APPRENTICE, REEDPAW

Littletail, gray-black tom

Mistyflight, gray-blue she-cat

Sandfoot, white tom with gold feet

APPRENTICE, SEDGEPAW

Dapplebird, dappled gray she-cat

QUEENS: Pinebranch, dark brown she-cat, mother of Littletail's kits: Spiderkit, Foxkit, and Walnutkit

Spottedbark, white and brown tabby she-cat, mother of Breezeleg's kits: Darkkit and Icekit

APPRENTICES: Buzzardpaw, bright yellow tom

Wetpaw, gray-white tom with black feet

Moonpaw, white she-cat

Minnowpaw, silver she-cat

Sedgepaw, gray tom

Reedpaw, light brown tom with darker brown stripes

Snowpaw, white she-cat

ELDERS: Rattooth, gray and brown tabby tom

Applestripe, brown tom with red stripe and three paws

Rubyreed, very old reddish-brown she-cat

CATS OUTSIDE THE CLANS

Deathbringer, black tom with green eyes

Antkit, red and black rogue, brother of Pebblestar and Tidepool

 _Chapter One_

"Rowancloud." Hillflower's voice jolted Rowancloud out of his dream. "Get up."

"What?" asked Rowancloud, still half asleep.

" _Get up!"_ she commanded.

Rowancloud padded out of the den beside Hillflower. "And why did I have to get up?" he asked.

"You're on dawn patrol," Hillflower snapped.

Rowancloud turned to look at her, his eyes blazing like his orange pelt in the early sunlight. "If I'm on dawn patrol, then why did you barge in to the warrior's den shouting to wake all the others up at the crack of dawn?" Hillflower looked suitably chastened.

Hillflower and Rowancloud walked toward the knot of warriors waiting to be assigned to a patrol. "Leopardleg, Ashwater, Adderfur, you're patrol 1," she mewed. "Nightpool, Mosspaw, Rowancloud and I will be patrol 2."

"I'll go with Ashwater, right?" Cinderpaw, Ashwater's apprentice, meowed.

"Yes."

 _Great. My patrol is Miss Bossy, Hillflower, Miss Icy, Nightpool, and Mosspaw. Thank StarClan for Mosspaw,_ Rowancloud thought.

Mosspaw was energetic and happy, the kind of cat that could lift your spirits in the worst of moods. As Hillflower loudly bossed the three cats around, Rowancloud had time to wish for a better deputy. But when Hillflower wasn't looking, Mosspaw made a face at her, her whiskers twitching. Rowancloud suppressed a smile. Nightpool, as ever, was unemotional. But somehow Rowancloud knew she, too, was smiling inside at her apprentice.

They had just sighted the other patrol when Hillflower stopped and sniffed the air. Rowancloud got a whiff of Twoleg and a horrible stench…

" _Dog attack!"_ Nightpool yowled as the first of the dogs burst from the marshes. "Mosspaw, warn the others!"

Her movement quick and jerky with panic, Mosspaw obeyed. Her brown-and-white form streaked back toward the ShadowClan camp. A moment later, the other warriors had arrived. Quartztooth, one of Rowancloud's many siblings, launched himself into battle beside his brother.

As he slashed at dogs, working as a superb duo with Quartztooth, his entire mind focused on the battle. Protecting ShadowClan. Protecting Quartztooth.

In the midst of it, Rowancloud saw Cedarpaw, Blackface's apprentice, dart away. _Coward!_

ShadowClan was fighting as hard as it could, but for each successful bite or slash, the cats were driven father back into their territory, a pawstep at a time. Rowancloud leapt and raked a dog with his hind claws. The dog yelped in pain and twisted to claw Rowancloud's face. Quartztooth hissed and bit the dog's muzzle, sending it staggering back. But Dawndrop, next to Rowancloud and Quartztooth, gasped as a dog injured her shoulder. She was forced to retreat several steps nearer to the camp.

But then Rowancloud heard angry, energetic yowling, deeper and more resonant than the usual ShadowClan voice. A thick-furred brown tabby, flanked by an orange-and-brown she-cat and a small brown blur, Rowancloud couldn't tell who it was, burst out of the trees. The fresh ThunderClan scent hit him as did understanding of the current events. _ThunderClan is here!_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

 _WindClan POV_

Amberkit pressed her pads to the ravine outside the WindClan camp, near the ShadowClan border. _Ha ha, Lionkit and Gorsekit!_ She remembered their jeering faces as they dared her to climb the ravine.

She could also, with crystal clarity, recall the glorious moment as she strode out of the nursery to climb down the ravine. The memory made her smile.

Amberkit hadn't actually been present when Lionkit and Gorsekit saw the ravine. She had simply assumed it would be no match for _her_ skills, finely honed… in the nursery.

Now Amberkit realized just how dangerous the ravine really was. She started down, but a pebble slid under her paw. She scrambled for a foothold, but more and more rocks slid under her claws. _StarClan help me!_

* * *

Mothfeather was collecting burdock root for the WindClan medicine cat, Willowstripe. She was at the ravine, where Willowstripe had told her to look. It was dry and there were no cats to trample it. Mothfeather began to dig. She had just grabbed a mouthful when she heard panicked mewling coming from above. Mothfeather looked up and saw Amberkit, daughter of Mudreed and Webstorm, rolling down the ravine. Mothfeather sprang into action, grabbing the young kit, who was shaking all over.

"What," Mothfeather growled, "were you _doing?"_

"Lionkit and Gorsekit dared me to climb down the ravine," Amberkit explained shakily.

Mothfeather closed her eyes and sighed. Of course. Her siblings dared her and, as the smallest of the litter, she had to constantly prove she was as good as her brothers. Mothfeather opened her eyes. "And you _did it?_ " Amberkit hung her head. Mothfeather picked up her mouthful of burdock root and started toward camp. "Mudreed and Webstorm will hear about this," she warned.

"No!"

"As a matter of fact, I'll bet the whole of WindClan will know by the time your punishment is over!" Mothfeather glared at the amber-eyed kit.

Amberkit padded silently next to Mothfeather. Mothfeather huffed and Amberkit was about to mournfully raise her head when she heard cats yowling from the ShadowClan side. And … dog barking?

"ShadowClan is being attacked by dogs!" Amberkit squeaked. Mothfeather, wasting no time, took off. Amberkit shot back toward camp to warn the others. Mothfeather hadn't even thought of that.

Amberkit crashed through the tall grasses at the edge of camp. "ShadowClan is being attacked by dogs!"

Kestrelstar shot to his paws. "Goldwing, Crowfluff, and Weedwhisker, I want you to stay back and guard the camp. The rest of you, come on. ShadowClan needs help." When a hopeful Amberkit started to follow the warriors, Kestrelstar turned. "Amberkit, thank you for bringing this information. Go back to the nursery."

"But-" Amberkit squeaked indignantly.

"Battle is no place for a young kit. Go back to the nursery, Amberkit." Kestrelstar was adamant.

"I want to go _with_ you! I told you about it!" Amberkit wailed.

"Go."

Amberkit stomped toward the nursery. Kestrelstar called after her, "Make sure you tell Lionkit and Gorsekit all about it," which made Amberkit pick up the pace, excited to tell about her journey. The warriors laughed, and then followed Kestrelstar as he sprinted through the grass.

Amberkit, her tail twitching, ran over to the nursery. Happier now, she stopped at the entrance, and, throwing her chest out, she marched in. Heroically.

"What happened?" asked Lionkit, who had seen the couple of scratches she had gotten during her tumble. To a kit, it looked like bloody battle wounds.

Amberkit lifted her chin and padded over to her nest. "Well, when you two dared me to do it, I knew how hard of a climb it would be. But I, so brave, did it anyways!" She could feel Gorsekit admiring gaze and Lionkit's eager face.

"Then what? Tell us," Gorsekit begged.

Amberkit added to the woefully exaggerated tale of her tumble, pausing every so often to lick one of her scratches. Long after Kestrelstar and the others returned, Amberkit's voice resounded through the camp, telling of her exploits at the ravine.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 _RiverClan POV_

"Pebblestar!" Tidepool, Pebblestar's brother and deputy, crashed into his den. "What?" asked Pebblestar, already on his feet.

"Stormspirit is hurt. It's bad. You should come see," Tidepool meweed. The fear in his tone made Pebblestar streak out of his den, where he saw Sandfoot, Stormspirit, and Breezeleg. Circling anxiously was Sandfoot's apprentice, Sedgepaw. Sandfoot and Breezeleg were supporting Stormspirit, who had a large gash in his side.

"What happened?" Pebblestar asked. Sandfoot opened his mouth, but Pebblestar put up his paw. "Wait. Take Stormspirit to the medicine cat den and then tell me what happened," he meowed. But he followed them to the medicine den.

Brackendew got to his paws at the sight of the warrior. "Will he survive?" came Breezeleg's anxious mew.

"I don't know," said Brackendew. "I will do what I can. I will try to ask StarClan what to do. Snowpaw," the RiverClan medicine cat mewed to his apprentice, "fetch some horsetail, goldenrod, and marigold and make a poultice. I'll get cobwebs. Also, have him eat some poppy seeds or chamomile so we can work on him." Sandfoot, Breezeleg, and Pebblestar left them to it.

"So what did happen?" asked Pebblestar, back in the clearing.

"Me, Breezeleg, and Sedgepaw were on border patrol when this red and black rogue came out of nowhere! He ripped Stormspirit like that and left," Sandfoot told Pebblestar.

"Ankit," Pebblestar muttered. He motioned for Tidepool to follow him into his den.

"It was Antkit," said Tidepool, stating the obvious.

"I know. But after Palesplash's death, he told us never to tell…" Pebblestar mewed

"Frogeye did, in ThunderClan," Tidepool reminded him.

"Yes. But he knew it was Frogeye, not us. So why is he attacking patrols?"

"Maybe he doesn't know they are RiverClan?" Tidepool ventured.

"He can smell RiverClan," Pebblestar meowed.

"But why was he aiming to kill Stormspirit? Because-"

"Because he obviously was," Pebblestar finished.

"Why? Antkit is an honorable warrior."

"I don't know," Pebblestar mewed grimly. Tidepool got to his paws to leave, but stopped.

"One thing, Pebblestar. Are we going to mention this at the Gathering tomorrow?"

"Yes," Pebblestar meowed. "I think it's time they knew." His deputy nodded and left. Pebblestar padded out of his den after the sandy warrior.

"Cats of RiverClan!" he called. "Littlepool, Bluesun, Clearwing, Sandfoot, Breezeleg, and I will go to the Gathering, as well as Sedgepaw, Reedpaw, and Buzzardpaw." There were mutters among the assembled cats: This was a surprisingly low number.

"The reason for this small group is that there is a dangerous rogue on the loose and I want to leave the camp well guarded," Pebblestar mewed. "Sedgepaw, go tell the other Clans with my word to do the same."

Sedgepaw watched the cats go and then ran off to do as he was told.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

 _ThunderClan POV_

Deerspring was getting ready for the Gathering. Bramblestar had already called who would go. It was only herself, Dustflight, Jewelclaw, Thornfur, Flickerpoppy, and her sister, Vixentail, as well as of course Bramblestar and the apprentices of Dustflight, Jewelclaw, and Thornfur. Those cats were Cherrypaw, Runningpaw, and Tallpaw.

It was a small number because Sedgepaw had crashed through the bracken and told them to, by word of Pebblestar. Sedgepaw and Deerspring had shared a look, and she had motioned for Sedgepaw to follow her.

"News?" Deerspring asked.

"Yes. That rogue attacked Stormspirit while we were on patrol. _We_ means me, Stormspirit, Breezeleg, and Sandfoot," Sedgepaw replied.

"And is Stormspirit dead?" asked Deerspring.

"Not yet. Brackendew said he didn't know if he's survive, but the wound looked pretty bad. Any news from you?" Sedgepaw asked.

"Yes. Vixentail and I were in ShadowClan to fight off the dogs that had attacked ShadowClan. While we were there, Vixentail killed Adderfur."

Sedgepaw nodded quickly. "What about Jaggedpaw? He's in _your_ Clan, it should be easy to finish him: either you or Vixentail."

"He's always with Cherrypaw," said Deerspring, a flash of annoyance crossing her brown-furred face.

"Surely you're not afraid to attack two apprentices?" Sedgepaw scoffed.

"Of course not!" Deerspring hissed. "I don't want a witness!"

"Oh. Well, we'll see Swallowfall and Leafbank at the Gathering," Sedgepaw mewed.

"And Crowfluff," Deerspring reminded him. Sedgepaw nodded.

"Well, goodbye," said Sedgepaw awkwardly. Deerspring motioned for him to go back to RiverClan.

* * *

Vixentail was at the Gathering. Cats milled about. _Not as many,_ Vixentail thought, _and that's because of Pebblestar's warning._ She noted that Pebblestar was on a rock. He called out, "Cats of RiverClan, WindClan, ThunderClan, and ShadowClan, I call this Gathering together. Which leader would like to go first?"

"I will," said Sweetstar. "As all but RiverClan knows, ShadowClan was recently attacked by dogs. This apprentice, Cedarpaw," Sweetstar motioned with her tail toward a brown apprentice with short fur, "ran to warn ThunderClan. He was given the first pick of prey for his bravery and quick thinking." The cats murmured approval, which made Cedarpaw flush with pride.

"Also, one of our warriors, Adderfur, is dead. He was killed by the dogs. We hope StarClan will suit this noble warrior." The cats muttered assent, each feeling the loss of the wiry gray warrior.

"I will go next," said Bramblestar. "Burningwhisker, my mentor, has decided to become an elder. However, he found that particular life to uneventful-"

"I'll bet," came a mew from a WindClan cat. Every cat knew of Burningwhisker's taste for adventure. Bramblestar's whiskers twitched.

"So he has become a pseudo-mentor for any apprentice who wishes for training other than their own mentor. We all know that some cats need other influences. Four apprentices are already taking advantage of this, as well as one ambitious kit, Hawkkit. The son of Eaglestep and Sorreldrop." Laughter rang out. "Other than the fact that prey is plentiful, that is all from ThunderClan."

Kestrelstar then stepped up. "We, too, know of the recent dog attack. How we found out was the strangest way imaginable. Apparently Amberkit of Mudreed and Webstorm was dared by her brothers to climb down the ravine." His whiskers twitched as the cats laughed.

"She was caught by Mothfeather, who was collecting burdock root for Willowstripe. On the way back, Amberkit heard the sounds of dogs and cats' yowling. She ran back to tell the rest of WindClan while Mothfeather sprinted to join to fight.

"A dog," Kestrelstar concluded, "is an enemy to every cat." He stepped down and Pebblestar took his place.

"RiverClan did not know of the dog attack," he said, "but we too have suffered this moon. Stormspirit was attacked by a rogue. Whether he will survive is uncertain.

"You all know that Tidepool and I are brothers. What you don't is that our mother, Mistyface, had a litter of _three."_

The cats gasped.

"Our brother, Antkit, was involved in an accident that resulted in the death of Palesplash. Feeling responsible, he left to join ThunderClan. But a ThunderClan warrior called Frogeye knew, and he told the ThunderClan leader Mallowstar about Palesplash's death. As soon as he heard warriors talking about it, even though there was no blame on Antkit, he left and became a loner. But then he attacked Stormspirit while Stormspirit was on patrol. Aiming to kill him." He waited till this had sunk in.

"Antkit has always been a honorable warrior, but now he is a rogue. And a every dangerous one." Pebblestar's gaze traveled over the cats.

"Leaders, warriors, and apprentices, I urge you to take proper steps to ensure that Antkit does not come within your Clan's boundaries." A ringing silence followed his words.

"And that concludes the Gathering."

As always, the cats did not immediately disperse. Vixentail, Deerspring, and Sedgepaw found each other and went looking for Leafbank and Swallowfall. They found Swallowfall, but Leafbank had an apprentice with her, a thick-furred brown tom.

"Who is _that_?" Swallowfall asked, flicking her tail toward the apprentice.

"This," said Leafbank, brushing his shoulders with her tail, "is Owlpaw, apprentice to our ShadowClan medicine cat, Cloudfeather."

"Why is he _here?"_ asked Sedgepaw, looking at him disdainfully. Owlpaw bristled.

"He wants to join our group," Leafbank said.

"And why should we trust him?" Vixentail sniffed.

"Because I say so," Leafbank growled.

"Fine," Deerspring sighed.

"Owlpaw," said Sedgepaw, "This is what the conspiracy is. We each dreamt of a gray tom and a sandy tom, who told us that Adderfur of ShadowClan, Stormspirit of RiverClan, Jaggedpaw of ThunderClan, and Crowfluff of WindClan held a dark secret that could destroy the Clan if it was discovered. They said, and we assume they are StarClan cats, that those four needed to be killed.

"I _know_ that!" Owlpaw spat. "I'm not a little kit, Leafbank told me!"

"Tell them why you're here," Leafbank mewed.

"I have news for you all," said Owlpaw. His voice was high and soft, as his brown fur looked like kit's fur. "Adderfur was _not_ part of Stormspirit's group."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

 _ShadowClan POV_

"Owlpaw, fetch some fresh-kill for Jaysun. She needs her strength to fight off that whitecough." Cloudfeather was hurrying around the medicine den. Owlpaw sighed. Sometimes it seemed like his mentor never relaxed. But he got to his paws to do what he was told.

He got lizard from the fresh-kill pile and went over to Jaysun. "Here," he mewed, thrusting the lizard toward her. "Eat this."

Jaysun pushed it away. "Volekit and Maplekit haven't eaten," she protested. Owlpaw was surprised by how weak her voice sounded. But he could understand why she was worried about her kits.

"Yes, they have," Owlpaw gently meowed. "Rocktail fed them. You knew he would." With Jaysun in the medicine den with whitecough, the kits' father, Rocktail, had taken it on himself to look after them, even though he still had his regular duties as a warrior to attend to. Hollysong, who was also in the nursery with kits, had assured Rocktail she was capable of looking after Volekit and Maplekit herself, along with her her kits Featherkit, Shrewkit, and Whitekit, but Rocktail insisted.

"Yes," Jaysun mewed softly. "I did." She took the lizard and Owlpaw padded out of the medicine den.

He remembered the Gathering yesterday like a claw to his face, sharp and clear. He remembered Leafbank telling them about the group that she was part of. This group conspired against Stormspirit of RiverClan, Oakhert of WindClan, Jaggedpaw of ThunderClan and- well- they had _thought_ it was Adderfur of ShadowClan. But when Vixentail had turned on him and killed him from behind, she hadn't known he had nothing to do with it.

Owlpaw had found out on his last visit to the Moonstone. This memory was not sharp and clear, but vague and fuzzy, like a kit's pad pinning down his tail. He'd walked among StarClan and seen the wiry gray warrior.

"Adderfur!" he had excitedly mewed, streaking toward him like a happy kit.

"Owlkit," Adderfur had said, with a smile.

"I'm Owl _paw_ now, and you know that! I've been an apprentice for nearly a moon and a half!" Owlpaw had said, playfully batting him with sheathed claws. Adderfur smiled.

"Does StarClan suit you?" Owlpaw had asked.

"Yes," he mewed, "but to be honest, I don't think I should have died that day." Owlpaw stared at him, and he had explained how Vixentail had killed him mistakenly. How he was _not_ connected to Stormspirit and Jaggedpaw and Crowfluff.

"Are you going to tell anyone?" Owlpaw had asked.

"No," Adderfur mewed. "It was fate."

And Owlpaw had woken with the feeling of Adderfur's gray pelt brushing his. Because Adderfur wasn't going to tell anyone, Owlpaw hadn't said anything.

Until the Gathering.

Even now, Owlpaw's fur pricked with guilt. He shouldn't have said that, and he knew it.

 _But I couldn't stand by and let them think the wrong thing!_ Owlpaw kept trying to convince himself. A few sunrises later and he'd come up with the best argument of all: _If I hadn't told them, Vixentail would have never known that she killed Adderfur for no reason. She needed to feel that or she'd have a crooked conscience._

Owlpaw wasn't sure _who_ it was, though. He just wasn't certain. There was no way for him to know.

Walking quietly toward the den he'd made at the edge of camp, preferring that to the medicine cat's den, Owlpaw was ready to tuck his nose under his paw and sleep. But as he went, he saw a green-eyed stare and an unfamiliar cat's eyes boring into him. The cat, a tom, turned tail and ran. Owlpaw could have blinked and missed his black fur disappearing into the trees. Owlpaw thought he should probably tell Sweetstar, but he was so tired.. so tired. He dropped there, in his nest, and was soundly asleep before he hit the ground.


End file.
